Midweek Mention... Basic Instinct

This week the dads tackle Paul Verhoeven's infamous erotic thriller — the fourth highest-grossing film of 1992 and quite possibly the most rewound VHS tape in rental shop history. Basic Instinct turns 33 this year, and it's still just as wild as you remember.In this episode:The legendary interrogation scene and the great Wayne Knight sweating debateWhether Sharon Stone knew — and whether Paul Verhoeven is telling the truthNick Curran: the "anti-Columbo" and arguably cinema's least heroic heroWhy Michael Douglas was paid $14 million and Sharon Stone got half a millionVerhoeven's Hitchcock obsession and the Vertigo parallels hiding in plain sightThe ambiguous ending, the ice pick under the bed, and whether the sequel tells us anythingLGBTQ+ representation and the bisexual villain problemThe 2001 collector's edition DVD that came with a replica ice pickSharon Stone's Barbie film pitch, and why it never happenedVerdict: Strong recommend. Ludicrous, overwrought, problematic in places — and still absolutely compelling.Films mentioned: Basic Instinct (1992), Basic Instinct 2 (2006), Vertigo (1958)Cast & crew discussed: Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Wayne Knight, Paul Verhoeven, Jerry GoldsmithYou can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads